July 13, 2012
Weekly Roundup: The world in 40 years, the death of cash and the rise of micro-apartments
Posted by: Jessica Vaughn - New York in Asia Pacific|North America
Due to July Fourth office closures, this roundup covers the past two weeks.
-Fast Company excerpts the book In 2052: A Global Forecast for the Next Forty Years, spotlighting eight ways the world will change in four decades’ time.
-A McKinsey & Company report looks at how “China is turning the corner toward becoming a consumption-led economy.”
-With stable jobs at paternalistic companies no longer a way of life in Japan, FT Magazine profiles a new generation that’s “entrepreneurial, wanting to think for themselves – but struggling for independence.”
-A Pew report examines the jump in Asian immigrants to the U.S. and “just how much the face of immigration has changed in the past few years,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
-Emerging-market consumers are embracing Chinese cars as low-cost alternatives to used cars, according to The New York Times.
-The Economist reports on a McKinsey study outlining the senior management gender gap across Asian companies.
-The Economist asks whether Russia can create a new Silicon Valley.
-The New York Times reports that big retailers are battling showrooming by turning their stores into extensions of their online hubs.
-More retailers are targeting gays and lesbians, reports The Wall Street Journal. And Huffington Post spotlights 25 LGBT-friendly brands and products.
-PSFK published a report on the future of retail.
-Traditional supermarkets are losing out to discounters and specialty stores, The Wall Street Journal reports. And International Business Times notes that midprice retailers are struggling as those on the luxury and discount ends of the spectrum are growing.
-Ad Age spotlights some key trends to emerge out of a study that examines Millennials’ shopping behaviors and attitudes.
-Fortune examines “the death of cash” and the array of companies that are pushing for mass adoption of mobile payments.
-Mobile purchasing among Americans has more than doubled in the past year, according to a report from IDC.
-Tablets are “ushering in a new era of online impulse buying,” reports The Boston Globe.
-The New York Times examines how Big Food is influencing the organic industry. And Indystar.com spotlights the proliferation of organic and natural foods on supermarket shelves.
-Bloomberg Businessweek’s CEO Guide to Mobile Advertising and Marketing looks at how marketing giants are leveraging a platform whose ad market is forecast to quintuple by 2015.
-As more NFC-enabled smartphones ship, customizable NFC tags are gaining a following, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.
-Apps and social media are driving a resurgence of carpooling, reports The New York Times.
-Adult playgrounds—popular in China and parts of Europe—are coming to the U.S., seen as a way to get more people moving, reports The New York Times.
-Physical training, which The New York Times describes as a typical “job of the future,” is becoming an increasingly popular profession in the U.S.
-Today’s household cleaning products come scented with an increasingly exotic array of scents, reports The Wall Street Journal.
-Mashable examines the phenomenon of viral philanthropy.
-The New York Times chronicles the booming rooftop farm industry in New York City.
-Americans consume less than half the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, says USA Today. And frozen vegetable brand Bird’s Eye is taking the unusual step of targeting children, in a partnership with Nickelodeon’s iCarly.
-The U.S. drought could drive up food prices across the globe, according to The Guardian.
-Fast Company examines whether the online freemium model could represent the future of higher education.
-In a vicious circle, increased air conditioning usage worldwide—spurred by rising temperatures and higher incomes in developing nations—is negatively affecting climate change, as The Guardian reports.
-With more travelers documenting their experiences online, some hotels are offering professional photography services to help guests capture the best moments.
-A new generation of websites help travelers have more personal, offbeat experiences, reports The New York Times.
-The New York Times looks at how Fisher-Price and other kids toy companies are embracing the digital toy trend.
-Fast Company looks at how the BBC is working to turn the Summer Olympics into the first social Games.
-Social-TV analytics find that consumers consider commercials as small bits of entertainment, Ad Age explains.
-A new study finds that contrary to conventional wisdom, most Americans won’t need to put off retirement indefinitely, Inc. reports.
-With an uptick in injured pedestrians, The Atlantic looks at the downside of cycling’s rising popularity in cities across the globe.
-With more singles living in New York, the city is promoting the idea of micro apartments designed for one.
-The New York Times looks at how the cinematic experience is changing as movie screens have gone from small to big to small once again.
-Americans’ confidence in TV news reporting is startlingly low, according to a Gallup poll.
-The New York Times reports that even in the age of artisanal everything, top chefs still have supermarket-brand crushes.
-“Sewing, like knitting before it, is making a comeback,” reports The New York Times, looking at how the domestic art has become a form of self-expression.
-Some shoe manufacturers are seeking ways to shorten the uncomfortable break-in period, according to The Wall Street Journal.
-Fast Company profiles several startups looking to turn lingerie shopping into an online experience.
-Some young people are purchasing “drunk phones”—low-end phones they take out at night for fear of losing their smartphones.
-In its July trend report, “Play As a Competitive Advantage,” outlining the importance of play moving forward.
